The Full Monty Review - Lichfield Garrick

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Event: 13/10/2015 - 17/10/2015

Nothing Is Lost As Sheffield Becomes Buffalo, New York

It can never be easy trying to create a stage musical out of a hit movie, particularly when you set the story in a different country with all that entails in terms of accents.

But the stage version of The Full Monty is an undoubted success, and Lichfield Operatic Society also achieves success from its decision to completely change musical direction, having previously put on the classic, The King and I.

The Full Monty brought to you by Lichfield Operatic Society

This Americanised musical stage version of the 1997 hit British film of the same name moves the story from Sheffield in Yorkshire to the comparable steelworks city of Buffalo, New York.

But the musical tells the same, all-important story of a group of unemployed steelworkers who decide to become strippers 'for one night only' in order to make some much-needed money.

The tale follows the friendship between the six men as they embark on their fun-filled, but also poignant journey to go "the full monty" and bare all in front of a thousand screaming women.

In fact, the main material change caused by switching to America is that the infamous "Arsenal off-side trap" mentioned in the film to help the strippers learn their dance steps is replaced by a basketball reference.

At the centre of the story is divorcee Jerry trying to maintain access to his young son after falling behind with his custody payments, and both Phil Bourne as Jerry and Ethan Bowley as Nathan truly excel.

But the heartstrings are tugged in several other ways amidst all the laughter before the 'Hot Metal' strippers finally go all the way in the final act.

In fact, this is as good a place to mention that the show does contains nudity and is therefore unsuitable for children - a warning that was certainly heeded on the sell-out opening night of the week-long run at Lichfield Garrick, from October 13-17.